Invitation for Research Managers and Administrators (RMAs) to apply for the first Study Visit organised by NCP_WIDERA.NET project

NCP_WIDERA.Net, the EU-funded project of the network of National Contact Points for Widening Participation and Strengthening of the European Research Area – WIDERA of Horizon Europe (Project no. 101055286), foresees three-day Study Visits to leading research-based organisations from Spain, Germany, Italy and Finland addressed to promising research managers and administrators* (RMAs) from Widening countries**.

The rationale of Study Visits

The main aim of Study Visits is to provide promising research managers and administrators (RMAs) from Widening countries the opportunity to access excellent practices and networks, by visiting leading research-based organisations with a view of taking valuable lessons learnt “home” to their host institutions for better supporting their communities.

Composition of participants: Less experienced applicants are particularly welcome to join along more experienced ones. Until March 2025, more study visits are planned exclusively for RMAs or in combination with researchers. Next study visit dedicated to RMAs will be organized in Finland in mid-May 2024.

research policy advisers, research managers, financial support staff, data stewards, research infrastructure operators, knowledge transfer officers, business developers, knowledge brokers, and innovation managers, according to WIDERA WP 2022-2023, page 115.

Member states: Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia

Associated countries to Horizon Europe: Albania, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Kosovo 2, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Turkey, Armenia, Georgia, Moldova, Morocco, Tunisia, Ukraine, Faroe Islands

Outermost regions of Portugal and Spain, and France.

The first study visit

NCP_WIDERA.NET project team invites RMAs to submit an application to the first Study Visit as follows:

Host organization: Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (Fundació Institut de Bioenginyeria de Catalunya – IBEC):

Location: Barcelona, Spain

No of participants (RMAs): 25
Applicants’ level of experience: Experienced and early career are welcome to apply

Date: 14-16 February 2024
Deadline for applications: 15 January 2024, 17:00 Brussels time

IMPORTANT: Deadline extension for applicants from Greece, Latvia, and Malta

Application deadline for our upcoming study visit has been extended only for applicants from Greece, Latvia, and Malta. This extension is part of our continuous efforts to accommodate the needs and circumstances of all our prospective participants.

New deadline: 26th January 2024, 17:00 Brussels time

Application Submission: It is important to note that applicants should submit their applications through designated persons in their respective countries:

  • Greece
    Vassiliki Kalodimou | PRAXI Network
    vkalodimou@praxinetwork.gr
    Call announcement in Greek
  • Latvia
    Sarmīte Mickeviča | Latvian Council of Science
    sarmite.mickevica@lzp.gov.lv
  • Malta
    Ian Gauci Borda | Malta Science Council of Technology (MCST)
    ian.a.gauci-borda@gov.mt

Information about IBEC

The Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC) is an multidisciplinary research centre based in Barcelona and conducts excellent interdisciplinary research at the frontiers of engineering and life sciences namely nanomedicine, biophysics, biotechnology, tissue engineering and health applications by advanced information technology. IBEC covers most areas of bioengineering, with a particular emphasis on the application of nanotechnology for diagnosis and regenerative medicine. IBEC employs 350 researchers and 20 different groups

Research teams are grouped in four horizontal target-oriented Flagships:

Keywords: micro-nanofabrication using soft lithographies and 3D printing; beyond-AFM/ST microscopy tools to characterize biological samples (optical, mechanical, electrical behaviour) at the nanoscale; nanobiosensing and microfluidics devices; nanorobotics, nano-scale characterization of bacterial-host interactions.

Keywords: micro-nanofabrication using soft lithographies and 3D printing; beyond-AFM/ST microscopy tools to characterize biological samples (optical, mechanical, electrical behaviour) at the nanoscale; nanobiosensing and microfluidics devices; nanorobotics, nano-scale characterization of bacterial-host interactions.

Keywords: Cell mechanobiology and their translation to clinical purposes; mechanics of development, biological mechanosensors, collective durotaxis, pathological changes of tissue stiffness

Keywords: modelling; signalling processing; automatics/control software for robotics; molecular imaging; robotics (mechanics) for minimally invasive surgery

IBEC has managed 20 ERC grants, filed around 40 patents and has created 5 spin-offs.

IBEC’s Technology Transfer Office (IBEC TTO) ensures a smooth transition of research results produced at IBE into the market and clinical practice. Successful translation depends on bringing early on the market perspective. The TTO team in IBEC has a broad experience in fostering trustworthy, long-lasting partnerships between industry and science. IBEC TTO scouts new discoveries and results in the institute, supports researchers in technology valorization through intellectual property management and development of commercialization strategies.

The Strategic Initiatives Unit provides strategic advice and support to the Director in the deployment of the Strategic Plan of IBEC. Among others, the unit fosters and coordinates (a) institutional and strategic projects and alliances such as Severo Ochoa, BIST, EIT Health and institutional networks as the NanoMed Spain, as well as institutional projects like COFUND and WIDERA among others (b) international alliances and partnerships, (c) deployment of Open Science, (d) implementation of the strategy for Sustainable Research, and (d) the scientific activities of the institute.

Is entrusted with providing personalized and comprehensive support to each research group, (ii) strengthen IBEC’s participation and success in (inter)national calls, and (iii) assist and integrate the institutional strategy (coordinated by the Strategic Initiative Unit (STI) and the Directorate). The PO unit provides supports research groups in all aspects of management of their scientific activities and is a reference unit between the research group and all other IBEC support units that participate in the activities related to the implementation of the projects such as the Tech Transfer Office (TTO), Finance, Human Resources (HR), Communication, IT, Core Facilities.

Eligibility and evaluation process

Country eligibility

Interested persons with affiliation to research-based organisations from the following Widening countries participating to this study visit, may apply.

  • Armenia
  • Czechia
  • Estonia
  • Greece
  • Latvia
  • Lithuania
  • Malta
  • Poland
  • Romania
  • Slovakia
  • Spain – Canary Islands
  • Tunisia

 

Participants of the Study Visits will be eligible for reimbursement based on actual costs exclusively by their country’s NCP organisation responsible for the WIDERA programme appearing in the list below (reimbursing organisation). The reimbursing organisation will also appear in the acceptance note that successful applicants will receive.

Eligible costs: Travel and accommodation
For more details contact the reimbursing organisation from your country.

Maximum reimbursable amount: 1.000 euros per applicant

Participants will be reimbursed after the completion of their trip and following submission of a report to their country’s reimbursing organisation.

A report template can be found here and at the bottom of this page.

Evaluation criteria

Interested applicant RMAs will need to fill out an application form requesting the following information:

Applications will be evaluated based on ensuring a proper mix of experienced and less experienced applicants. The list of participants will be underpinned by gender aspects to the extent possible.

Criteria for RMAs
⚫ Number and type of grants raised at the national/international level, if any
⚫ Brief description of indicative national/international project(s) you have participated in, if any
⚫ Indicative number of proposals submitted (if any)  in the recent years of your career, number of successful proposals  (if any)
⚫ Brief description of valorisation experience (collaboration with industry, patents, spin-offs, licensing), if any
⚫ Good command of English, at least of B2 level or equivalent
⚫ CV – EUROPASS
⚫ Endorsement letter from your institution

  1. Remote evaluation: The reimbursing partners from each eligible country participating to the 1st Study Visit will evaluate remotely their country’s incoming applications
  2. Consensus: The partners will discuss and reach out a consensus
  3. Consultation with host organisation
  4. Acceptance/rejection letters to participants

How to apply

Interested persons coming from the listed Widening countries may complete the application form available here and at the bottom of this page and send to the contact person(s) applicable to their country:

Organisation:
Scientific and Innovation Partnership Assistance Center (SIPAC)

Contact person:

Tigran Azurmanyan: tarznip@sci.am

Number of candidates eligible for funding: 2

Organisation:
Technolgy Centre Praha (TC Praha)

Contact person:

Anna Voseckova: voseckova@tc.cz

Number of candidates eligible for funding: 1

Organisation:
ESTONIA Estonian Research Council

Contact persons:

Kristin Kraav: kristin.kraav@etag.ee

Siiri Kolka: siiri.kolka@etag.ee

Number of candidates eligible for funding: 2

Organisation:
PRAXI Network/FORTH
Call anouncement in Greek

Contact persons:

Vassiliki Kalodimou: vkalodimou@praxinetwork.gr
Maria Mikroni: mikroni@praxinetwork.gr

Number of candidates eligible for funding: 2

Organisation:
Latvian Council of Science

Contact persons:

Sarmīte Mickeviča: sarmite.mickevica@lzp.gov.lv
Darja Aksjonova: darja.aksjonova@lzp.gov.lv
Liene Kairiša: liene.kairisa@lzp.gov.lv

Number of candidates eligible for funding: 2

Organisation:
Lithuanian Research Council

Contact persons:

Aurelija Povilaikė: aurelija.povilaike@lmt.lt
Ieva Budrienė: ieva.budriene@lmt.lt

Number of candidates eligible for funding: 1

Organisation:
Malta Science Council of Technology (MCST)

Contact person:

Ian Gauci Borda: ian.a.gauci-borda@gov.mt

Number of candidates eligible for funding: 2

Organisation:
The National Centre for Research and Development (NCBR)

Contact person:

Katarzyna Buszkiewicz-Seferyńska: Katarzyna.Buszkiewicz-Seferynska@ncbr.gov.pl

Number of candidates eligible for funding: 2

Download national rules and forms for Polish applicants (.zip)

 

Organisation:
Executive Agency for Higher Education, Research, Development and Innovation Funding – UEFISCDI

Contact person:
Daniela Dragomir: dana.dragomir@uefiscdi.ro
Andreea Popa: andreea.popa@uefiscdi.ro

Number of candidates eligible for funding: 1

Organisation:
Slovak Center of Scientific and Technical Information (CVTISR)

Contact person:

Renata Polaskova: renata.polaskova@cvtisr.sk
Kveta Papanova: kvetoslava.papanova@cvtisr.sk

Number of candidates eligible for funding: 1

Organisation:
Spanish National Research Council (CSIC)


Contact person:

Ana Hidalgo: ana.hidalgo@csic.es
Alejandro López Mellado: alejandro.lopez@csic.es
Andres Blanco: andres.blanco@csic.es

Number of candidates eligible for funding: 1

Organisation:
Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research (MHESR)

Contact person:

Amani Charrad: amani.charrad@gmail.com

Number of candidates eligible for funding: 1

If you need more information, please contact the above mentioned contact person(s).

Alternatively, you may contact the Task Leader of the study visits of the NCP_WIDERA.NET project:

Organisation: PRAXI Network/Foundation for Research & Technology – Hellas (Greece)

• Vassiliki Kalodimou: National Contact Point for WIDERA, e-mail: vkalodimou@praxinetwork.gr, widera@praxinetwork.gr

• Maria Mikroni: National Contact Point for WIDERA: e-mail: mikroni@praxinetwork.gr, widera@praxinetwork.gr

The partners of NCP_WIDERA.NET project are compliant with all legal procedures for the processing of personal data as defined by the Regulation EU/2016/679 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data and the applicable national laws.

Please be advised that we will share the information provided in the application form with the Host Organisation, solely for the implementation of the Study Visit, which is a contractual obligation of the NCP_WIDERA.NET project.

We would like to inform you that you have the right to access the right of information, correction, update or even erasure of your aforementioned personal data in accordance with the EU Regulation and applicable national laws. We acknowledge also to you, that you have the right to file a complaint to your national Data Protection Authority. You have the right to withdraw your participation in the survey and consent for the processing of your personal data at any time. You may contact the data protection officer (DPO) of your country’s reimbursing organization.

Study visit application form (RMAs).docx

Participant report from study visit.docx